New detox facility set to double Snohomish County treatment capacity

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LYNNWOOD, Wash. – More than 140 Americans die each day from overdosing on drugs, according to President Donald Trump’s commission on combating drug addiction.

In a draft report released Monday, the commission asks the president to declare the opioid crisis a national emergency.

It also suggests putting overdose-reversing drugs into the hands of cops across the country and require naloxone be prescribed side-by-side with high-risk drugs. The report also said the declaration could cut red tape and rapidly expand treatment capacity across the country.

Locally, the number of treatment beds in Snohomish County are about to double. In a couple weeks the Evergreen Recovery Center plans to open 16 more rooms at a new detox center in Lynnwood

One young mother who recently completed addiction treatment told Q13 News she felt lucky to find a spot in detox because there aren’t enough beds to meet the demand.

“I wanted to be pregnant, I wanted to be mom but I wasn’t ready to get clean,” said 29-year-old Amber Petersen.

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She said she tried to kick heroin, meth, opioids and pot several times but it didn’t stick. She relapsed, became homeless and then pregnant with her son, Jaxzen, but she had to lose him before hitting rock bottom.

“So this is the part that kills me,” she said. “I didn’t even cry when my son got taken away because I was high. My dreams got ripped out of my arms and I didn’t even cry because I was on meth.”

Amber spent about a week at Evergreen’s Everett campus getting sober. She’s now in transitional housing and Jaxzen is back in her life.